The American painter, a major figure of the second half of the 20th century who moved from figurative art to abstract expressionism, blended biting irony with a critique of American society.

Also featured in the exhibition is some of the work Picasso made at the Chateau de Boisgeloup in Normandy, which he bought in the 1930s. “He also kept on an apartment in Paris,” says McLean. “In 1936, ...